Tear Down These Walls
by Green Eyes Wander
Summary: SYOC! WICKED refuses to give up. Groups A and B have failed, but that won't stop them from sending Group C into the Glade. Read on as the characters fight for their lives, their love, and most importantly, their freedom. Submit you own character, rules inside.
1. Chapter 1

**I still need more characters, mainly boys but if you do submit a girl thats fine to. **

**BOYS BOYS BOYS :) **

Hello! So if you decide to submit a character great, but you need to follow these rules:

\- PM or Review, either is fine, but if you PM title it with you character's name and "Tear Down These Walls" after

\- Fill out all the information in the form and detail!

\- Be unique, no Mary sues/ Gary stues.

\- I'm only taking ten characters at first and then more will come later.

\- BOYS! if there aren't enough guys then the story can't happen.

\- I put an other option, feel free to add anything, the more detail, the more important your character will be to the story.

\- Not everyone can be a runner, sorry. Give me 3 possible jobs, first second and third, and I'll try to give your character one.

\- I might not accept every character, depending on numbers, so just be prepared and write up the best character you can!

Ok, Have fun!

Name:

*Nickname

Gender:

Historical Figure:

Age:

Job preferences:

Personality:

Appearance (Include clothing, hair, skin, eyes, build, height, etc.):

Scars or Injuries:

Fears:

Strengths:

Weaknesses (at least 3)

Relationship preference:

Backstory:

Story ideas or things you want to happen with your character:

Other:

Get your OCs in soon. I'll post the character list and first chapter some time in the weekend!

-Green Eyes Wander


	2. Chapter 2

Alright, so here is the character list! There were a few people that reviewed/messaged saying they were going to insert a character, but I really wanted to get the character list up. You can still send in characters, but please only for positions that haven't been filled. If you have problem or want something to be changed, let me know via review or PM. Also, I didn't know who should be Keeper of the Baggers, so if you're character is a Bagger and you want them to be Keeper just make a case saying why or not, just let me know ;)! Ok, well hope everyone is ok with what they got!

Leader: Allan

Second in command: Artemis

Keeper of Runners: Scar

Runners: Mace, Audrey, Helen

Keeper of Trackhoes: Florence

Trackhoes: Leia

Keeper of Builders: Kato

Builders: Dahlia

Keeper of Medjacks: Anna

Medjacks: Angel, Teddy

Keeper of Cooks: Cat

Cooks: Cleo

Kepper of Sloppers: Turner

Baggers: Chris, Khwame

The first chapter should be up soon, and feel free to comment/give advice or send in another character.

Thanks!

-Green Eyes Wander


	3. Around the Glade

**Ok, first chapter! So in this chapter I showed the point of view of the different jobs sections in order to get every one (except the runners) introduced. I tried to make it not seem to rushed or anything, but I wanted everyone to get at least mentioned. After this, the chapter will go more in depth into specific people and their relationships and what not. The next chapter will have a large section about the runners, so don't worry. Hope you enjoy!**

**SETTING: Behind the Homestead**

Intense sunlight flooded Allan's vision as he opened his eyes. He licked his dry lips and sat up slowly, looking around and waiting for his eyes to adjust. It took him only a few seconds to realize that he'd been sleeping, totally disregarding his responsibilities as leader! He shot up, but stumbled back leaning against the Homestead. He had stood up to fast, and was now cursed with head rush.

"There you are Shank!" A loud and familiar voice called. Allan squinted, his eyes still adjusting to the bright light of the Glade. No more than ten meters away was his closest confidant and most trusted friend, Artemis.

"Hey Arie, I—I um… I just needed—"

"Yeah, uhuh. I'm sure." She teased, crossing her arms over her chest as he stammered on fiddling for an excuse. "Don't worry, no one noticed, things have been slow today. Besides, they had me, so that means they didn't have any problems."

"Great, I left the Gladers in the care of a lunatic, that makes me feel better" He joked, earning an elbow in the side of the ribs. "Hey! What was that for?"

"I'm sorry princess, didn't mean to make you Klunk your pants!"

His hand shot out, but she was to quick, she darted to the side. He pushed himself off the wall, and spun around, just barely grabbing on to her wrist and pulling her so that there was very little room between them. While she was tall, Artemis was still a good 4 inches shorter than the 6'1 teenaged boy.

"Sorry Arie," he chuckled, "but don't call me princess."

A smile broke across her face, the white in her teeth making her green eyes sparkle like emeralds. "S'alright," she whispered, "I won't do it again."

Allan missed hanging out with her, as more Gladers came up through the box, the days got busier, and there were more times that they were separated.

He looked down at her once more, just as the Greenie alarm blared through the Glade, forcefully reminding him of his leaderly responsibilities.

"Shuck." He breathed, dropping her wrists, "I guess the naps over."

She laughed behind him, and beautifully happy laugh, "At least you got a nap Slinthead." And Allan couldn't help but smile.

**SETTING: In the Gardens.**

"What the shuck are you guys doing!?" Florence demanded. She could feel her temper rising, and that only lead to bad things.

"Hey Flo Girl!" Saf piped. She shot up from her sitting position to give Florence a hug.

"Shuck off Saf, and don't call me 'Flo'" Florence snapped, ignoring the thin brown haired Builder's offer for a hug. Saf was always offering hugs or kisses or words of praise, and Florence didn't need that Klunk.

"Oooookay," Saf sung in an annoyed voice, "I'll just—like—go back to working." The girl crouched down and continued pretending to be working.

Florence passed the well-known airhead and marched right up to the Keeper of the Builders, Kato.

"What?" Asked Kato, searching the red head's dark brown eyes.

"You asked us to build you a compost bin," Dahlia reminded her in a strong tone, standing up and revealing the 2 inches of height she had on Florence, Keeper of the Track hoes.

"This—" Florence spat, pointing to the Builder's Project, "—is no more than a pile of lumber with nail. This isn't going to compost our food."

"We've been working on this all morning and—"

"All morning huh?" Florence cut in, "that's not something to be proud of."

Florence watched, eyes alert, as Dahlia dropped her hammer to the ground and balled her fist. The Keeper of the Trackhoe's knew that Dahlia was not some one to mess with, but of course, being the rebel she was, Florence was going to mess with her.

"Want me to show you something I'm proud of Slinthead?" Dahlia threatened.

"Go ahead, Lia."

That was enough to push the Builder over the edge. It would've been a full-blown fight if Kato didn't step in.

"Enough." He ordered. He wasn't much taller than either of them, or much bigger, but something about his voice, or maybe his entrancing hazel eyes, made the two feisty girls relax. "We've been working hard Florence, but if you aren't happy maybe you can give us some tips."

"Maybe I can give her a piece of—" Dahlia started. But the Keeper of the Builders head out his arms, stopping the girl from attacking.

"You both need to calm down. This can be fixed—"

Kato was cut off by the sound of the Greenie alarm booming through the Glade.

**SETTING: In the homestead**

Teddy sighed as he drummed his fingers against the hard wood. The day had been rather uninteresting for the teenaged boy, no one injured or in need of medical attention. He watched as a lone ant scurried along the light brown tabletop, carrying some sort of left over food to its colony.

The old door swung on its hinges, making an awful creaking sound as it opened, revealing Anna, the Medjacks keeper, and the girl in charge of him. She was rather pretty, or at least Teddy always thought she was. Her hair was black and often braided, her eyes were a stormy grey, and her skin was fair and dotted with freckles.

"Hey Ted," She smiled.

"Hey Anna," Teddy replied, squishing the ant under his finger. He knew Anna hated bugs, and if she saw even the smallest of ants, she'd probably burn the Homestead down.

"Have you seen Angel?" Anna asked, placing a leather bag on the table and taking a seat across from Teddy.

"He's been in and out all day. I'm assuming he's with Kato."

"Ah," Anna sounded, as if she knew something Teddy didn't. "Alright, that's fine I guess. It's not like there's much to do anyway."

"What? Why'd you make that sound."

"What sound?" Anna asked, looking very falsely confused.

"Whatever, you'll tell me eventually."

Just then, the door busted open, and in came Angel, breathing heavy but smiling all the same.

"Sorry guys." Panted the final Medjack. "I was just talking to Kato. He didn't feel well."

"Mhmm." Said Anna, nodding her head. She seemed to know something that Teddy didn't even understand, but she let it go, because just then the Greenie alarm went off.

**SETTING: In the Kitchens**

"For the last time Cleo," Cat stressed, "the pepper needs to be on the left side of the salt. It's just how it goes."

Cleo tossed an apple up into the air, letting it land in her hand with a thump. She loved Cat, Cat was her co-worker, her Keeper, and one of her closest friends… but she was extremely OCD.

"Sorry Cat," Cleo sighed, "I forgot the rule."

"It's alright, just don't do it again." Cat said clearly not catching the sarcastic glint in her friend's black eyes. The dirty blonde haired Keeper went on rearranging and setting things up. It was just after lunch and to early to start preparing dinner, so there was little to be done. Cleo continued tossing the apple, just as Walt, the third cook, appeared from behind the serving couner.

"Hello Ladies." He sung, snatching the apple from Cleo's hand.

"What do you want, Walt?" Cat asked, not even turning from her organizing to make sure it was him.

"Just wanted to see if there was any work to be done." He said, winking at Cleo. She chuckled, but grabbed her apple back and took a monsterous bite.

"Don't be annoying today," She warned, "Cat's in a clean up mood."

"I heard that!" Yelled Cat, making Walt and Cleo laugh under their breath.

Then, for the second time that afternoon, more boys entered the Kitchen, three of them, with hungry looks on their faces.

"Hey Girls and Walt," One of the taller boys called. As they stepped into the light, Cleo, Walt and Cat saw Kwame, Chris and Turner, the two baggers and a slopper, clearly eager for a snack. "Mind if we have a bite to eat." This was Kwame. He was one of the oldest in the Glade, with dark curly hair and tan skin much like Cleo's. He was always very kind in a tough way.

"Yeah," Cat scoffed. "If you think you're getting a snack you've got another thing coming."

"C'mon, we're hungry." Pleaded Turner. He was one of the youngest, with puppy dog eyes that could kill. His brown locks flopped as he walked around the kitchen.

Chris, the blue-eyed beauty, remained silent, but amused by Turner's little act. "You're not gunna get anything from her," he said finally, "Cat's the only one tough enough to withstand the famous Turner eyes. Isn't the right? Kitty?"

Cat's face turned a shade redder than Florence's hair. She dropped the spoon she was holding and stalked toward Chris, only to be interrupted by the Greenie alarm

**SETTING: In the Box**

_Leia. My name is Leia._

The small girl gripped the cold metal below her, her stomach lurching as her metal prison shot upwards.

_Leia. My name is Leia._

Absolutely nothing made sense to her, she remembered nothing but her name. She had no idea where she was, and the darkness of her surroundings made it impossible to figure anything out. Alarms blared, lights flashed, and the box moved upwards, but that wasn't what was scaring her the most. Images of men with knives and tables with leather straps danced through her head.

_"This isn't going to hurt." They would tell her, "Just don't move Leia." _

_ Leia. My name is Leia._

But it always hurt, and she could never stop herself from screaming.

The thought made her back sear in pain, and instantly she wrapped her self into a ball, forcing her eyes shut. Who ever did this to her was going to pay.

The Box came to an abrupt halt, so sudden she almost vomited all over the hard floor. Light forced it's way through the cracks in the ceiling, and finally the deafening alarms ceased. A new sound took it's place, the sound of chatting… human chatting.

She forced her self to sit up, despite the pain in her back, and open her eyes fully, allowing her to take in what was around her.

_Who are these people? What am I doing here?_

She wanted to scream in frustration but told her self to hold it in.

The ceiling above Leia split in two doors, revealing a crowd of about a dozen teens, towering above her. They muttered words under her breath as one jumped down, landing just a few feet from the young girl.

Directly above her stood a breathtaking teenaged girl. She had slightly tanned skin and light blonde hair that waved past her shoulder, with an upturned nose and wide smile. But most notably, were her eyes. They were several shades of green mixed together in a cacophony of color and light. She was tall and thin and seemed friendly, and despite not knowing her own age, Leia felt younger than the other girl.

The blonde extended a hand down to Leia, which she did not take.

"It's alright Greenbean." The girl soothed, drawing confusion and Leia's face, "My names Artemis. You're safe now, so lets get out of this box and we'll explain some things."

Leia quivered, shaking her head.

"I don't know where I am. I don't know who I am. I don't know who you are. I'm not going with you."

Artemis sighed, "Smart girl." She looked up to the crowd above her and called, "Allan. The Greenbean won't budge."

In seconds, a much larger teen smashed down into the Box, his messy ash brown hair flopping as he gained his balance. It was obvious to Leia why he came down. While the girl, Artemis, seemed strong, with evident muscles showing through her baggy tank top and jeans, the boy was much stronger, and could carry Leia like a sack of flower.

She scooted back, pressing her back against the wall and wincing at the pain. The boy drew near and Leia flinched, but he did not touch her. He knelt down, reaching eye level with the young girl, holding her gaze intensely and extending his hand.

"It's alright now. You're in the Glade, and we—" he motioned to the crowd behind him, "—are a family. We'll protect you." Finally, and some what reluctantly, Leia took the boys hand. He seemed gentle and caring, her body told her to trust him.

And as Allan helped the small girl out of the box, he swore something about her blue grey eyes and ash colored hair looked familiar.

**The end! Please review, it makes it so much easier for me to write, and let me know if anything about you're character should be changed. Also let me know If I forgot your character (runners come in later). Hope you liked it!**

-Green Eyes Wander


	4. Around the Maze

**Ok there was a problem with the coding or something, so if there are a lot of spelling errors or anything, it's because this is the some what unrevised version of this chapter. Anyway, hope you like it and please review!**

The greyish brown color of stone was probably Mace's least favorite thing in the world. He rested on his hands and knees sucking in deep breaths staring at the ugly grey stone of the Maze floor. His arms shook and his legs ached, and every breath he took in only made his exhaustion grow.

His eyes grazed over the silvery running watch. He had a good 35 minutes until the doors were to close, and he was only a few hundred meters from the opening, and yet he still couldn't force his legs to move. The Glade was lacking in Runners, with 8 sections in the Maze and only 4 Runners, each of them had to pick up an extra section, making the day's work nearly deathly.

The watched beeped, 30 minutes till closing time. Sure, Mace had time, but he liked being back early, he liked giving himself time on the way back just incase. Mace's hand etched its way up the wall, finding a stone that stuck out of the large wall and pulling himself to his feet.

"C'mon Mace," he urged himself, taking off into a light jog and gaining speed, "Just a bit further."

His feet knew exactly how to get him home. 2 left turns, one right and one more left. Those four turns and he was home free. Of course, the Creators were never that kind to anyone, simple just didn't amuse them. He even hadn't been running for a minute when the screaming started. It started low, like a surprised yelp, but it grew into a full-blown chorus, an on going plea for help.

Mace stopped; it had to be from the Maze, another Runner who was in trouble. He checked his watch, 27 minutes left.

"Shuck me." Mace moaned, picking up his feet and sprinting off in the opposite direction of home. The screams grew nearer and fainter at the same time. The hurt Runner was loosing energy… or maybe blood. Mace picked up speed. After 3 minutes he realized he was in sector 4, Audrey's sector.

"Audrey!" Mace called, "Audrey, Where are you?"

He spun in several 360s, scanning down the corridors. But there was silence, the screams had halted, and Audrey was nowhere in sight.

"I-it didn't… I didn't see it—it came from nowhere." A voice stammered.

Mace turned on his heels. Standing directly behind him was a thin girl, at least a foot shorter than him, with silvery blue hair and wide blue eyes. They were electric; energy seemed to run through them like lighting trapped in a jar, and yet her skin was unnaturally pale and her walk was zigzagged. She looked like she might pass out any second.

"Audrey! What happened! Were you stung?"

"Mace… It's coming. It got m-me… but no… sting…" The small runner staggered and collapsed, but Mace caught her just in time.

"Audrey!" He scooped her up into his arms, noticing a blood stained patch on the side of her shirt. His hands supported her the way a man carried his bride and yet nothing about this was joyous.

A shrill screech of a Griever sounded from somewhere close by. Being careful to keep Audrey still, Mace took off, not wanting to run into a Griever, and determined to get the girl back.

Sector 5 wasn't Mace's sector so he had to be observant. Every so often he'd have to stop and look for a piece of cut ivy, or a scuffed corner. Like an injured sloth he made his way through the corridors, making sure Audrey was breathing every so often. It wasn't until he was a good five minutes from the glade with 13 minutes until the doors were closing that Mace stopped and let himself catch his breath. That's also when Mace heard the clicking and whirring that made him want to klunk his pants.

That was when Mace saw a Griever for the third time since he came out of the box.

It looked at him, it threatened him… it begged him to stand and fight.

The Griever was blocking his way to the Glade. With Audrey in his arms there was no way he could fight the beast or even manoeuvre around it. He'd have to turn around, loose it in the process and even then he might not be fast enough.

The Griever stepped forward and Mace stepped backwards.

Audrey stirred in the boy's arms.

"Shhhh Audrey, it's ok. I've gotcha." Mace whispered in a soft and calm tone.

"Mace!" A voice called from behind. He looked behind his shoulder just enough to see Scar and Helen, the Keeper of the Runners and the best runner standing side by side. It was Scar who was talking, "don't move a muscle." He warned.

"If he doesn't move then he can't run, and then they're both dead." Helen hissed.

"Guys! Enough bickering. What do we do?" Mace asked. He was backing away slowly, keeping both eyes on the Griever.

Scar pushed past him, pulling his katana.

"Scar, you can't fight it!" Helen yelled. Scar swivelled, and flashed a smile nearly more terrifying then the Griever. Scar was a nice person, Mace knew that, but the part of his eye that was supposed to be white was black, and his teeth were near razor sharp.

"I can fight anything, Love." And with that the multicolor haired boy charged at the beast and it charged back.

"Well shuck me." Helen sighed, pulling out her knife and followed right behind her Keeper. Together the pair to on the monster, Scar slashed at the meaty part while Helen aimed for the legs.

Mace began to feel restless; he needed to help out his friends. Carefully he set Audrey down to the side, propping her up against a wall and pulling out his own knife.

The three of them flanked the beast from each side, Scar taking it's front and keeping it's attention on him. Spikes extended from the Griever's legs, but none of the Runners showed even the smallest sign of fear. It lurched forward, snapping at Scar while batting at Helen with a leg. Helen dodged, but Scar dove right in, deflecting its mouth and driving his weapon into the center of it's face.

Another leg drove out towards Mace, "Watch out!" Helen yelled, but Mace was a step ahead of her. He dove to the side, and cut at the veiny near its joint. The monster howled into Scar's blade, and lashed out, nicking Helen with a spike. The conscious girl groaned in pain but did not falter. She gripped her knife tighter and lunged, stabbing the gooey head in several places.

Slowly, Audrey began to wake to the sound of pants and clanging metal. The memory of where she was and what had happened flooded back to her, and instantly she felt pain in her side. She checked her watch. In five minutes the doors to the Glade would close and she and the other runners would be stuck outside.

"We only have four minutes!" She warned the others in a pained breath. She tried to pull her self up, but agony flooded her body and forced her to the ground.

"We've got to end this!" Scar ordered. He knew what he had to do. He was the Keeper of the Runners, he swore to protect and lead the others, and so he would. With a defying yell, he lunged at the Griever and buried his blade deep into its head, dragging it down and splitting it nearly in two.

The Griever shut down. It collapsed to the ground with one last whir, and the Runners sighed in relief.

"Mace, grab Audrey. Helen, start heading back. Let's go, we don't have a lot of time." Scar barked. The others nodded. Mace scooped up Audrey, and Helen sheathed her knife. Scar watched as they took of down the corridor and followed right behind. But, he before he followed, he grabbed on one of the Griever's claws, yanking it hard and disconnecting it from the leg.

_This will make an awesome weapon._

"Scar," Helen called, "Let's go!"

Helen had never run so hard in her life. They were five minutes from the Glade. They had had 4 minutes and 42 seconds. She scolded herself; she didn't have time to check her watch.

She'd run through this Labyrinth since the third day she was in the Glade. When she first came up, Allan had warned her not to go into the Maze. It was there number one rule and still, she entered it anyways. She was never a fan of rules, but that night when she returned before any of the other Runners without out even breaking a sweat, the Keepers talked of banishment. It was Artemis, Anna and Cat, the second in command, Keeper of the Medjacks and the Keeper of the Cooks, who vouched for her. _She's to good of a Runner to be wasted, _they argued, _she just made a mistake._ Now, as she ran through the Maze with mere minutes until the doors were going to close, she knew it was time to prove how good she really was.

She ran faster than she ever had, feeling the wind whip through her dark brown hair. Her feet carried her to the doors with time to spare, but she did not enter the Glade. On the other side stood the 16 Gladers who were not in the Maze. They desperately motioned for her to hurry up, they knew it was almost time. Still, Helen did net enter. A good Runner was some one who was fast with strong stamina, but a good Glader was some one who would never leave a friend behind.

She swiveled on her heals and searched for her friends. Scar was a bit behind because he stop to do who knows what and Mace was a few feet behind, Audrey in his arms. He was tiring out, his feet dragging behind him.

"C'mon Mace!" Helen screamed. Scar caught up to them, he grabbed Audrey from Mace just as stumbled. Helen ran back, catching him before he fell.

"Stay strong Mace," She ordered, carrying half his weight. He was exhausted, but they only had seconds until the doors would begin to close. She half dragged the Runner to the opening of the Glade. Scar and Audrey made it through, collapsing to the grass ground. Helen forced her self to push through; she refused to die like this. The monstrous stone doors rumbled and screeched as the stone began to shift.

With a defeaning grunt, Helen shoved Mace through and fell in right behind him, rolling to the side so the doors didn't crush her feet.

Joan could not have been more relieved to see the Runners fall through the opening of the Glade. Nearly all 16 Gladers were there to see them return, but Joan fell to the ground when she saw them each come through, tearing up with joy.

She took off her glasses and wiped them on her green shirt. The Runner's were some of her closest friends. Her job as a mapmaker depended on them coming back each day.

Allan and Artemis rushed forwards, side by side to inspect the Runners. Audrey was obviously injured, and Joan prayed she had not been stung. The others seemed beat up, but nothing fatal.

"Get the Med-jacks!" Artemis bark from her knees, whipping around to face the crowd "Now!"

Allan picked up Audrey, and handed her off to Chris, who ran with her all the way to homestead. Teddy and Anna followed close behind, while Angel checked to make sure the others were ok.

"What happened?" Allan demanded, as Scar stood up.

"A Griever attacked us."

"And?" Allan pushed.

Scar smiled a toothy grin, "And we killed the jacked beast."

The crowd's worry and panic melted away at Scar's new. A few of the Gladers cheered as his word boomed through their walls. Never before has a Griever been killed, especially not by Gladers.

Cleo jogged over to the three remaining Runner, handing them each a glass of water.

"So… you just killed it?" Artemis asked, offering Helen a hand.

"Sure did," Helen replied, taking the hand gratefully.

Artemis's gaze met Allan's, and he understood. She was worried. The Glade had never seen a dead Griever, and it could mean bad things. But Allan relaxed his features, letting her know that it would be ok.

"We'll have a meeting of Keepers tomorrow morning, first thing, to discuss this. But tonight, we have a new Greenie, and one less Griever. So I say we celebrate!"

The Glader's cheered in agreement and helped the Runners over to the Kitchen. As the crowd dispersed, Artemis and Florence jogged over to Allan.

Florence spoke up. Though she wasn't second in command, Allan respected her opinions as he did with all keepers, and Florence was never afraid to speak her mind. "We don't have time for a party Allan. We need to give the door, hold a meeting, and investigate the Griever. What the shuck is a party going to do?"

Artemis nodded, her pale pink lips pursed with worry.

"A party will help everyone, including you two, relax. We have things to celebrate and nothing, besides Audrey's injury, to be upset about." He placed a hand on Artemis's shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I'm going to go check on Audrey. You go talk with the Greenie, Florence, and Arie tell the Cooks to prepare a good dinner."

The two girls nodded, "Aye Aye, Cap'n." Florence smirked.

"That's more like it," Allan chuckled. His eyes met Artemis's, her breathtakingly green eyes almost always made his heart skip a beat, but at that moment they were dark and dull. "Cheer up Arie," he said softly, "Everything's gunna be just fine… I promise."

**Alright so you'e met the Runners and the Mapmaker, now it's time for a bit of life around the Glade and the party! Thanks to every one who reviewed and I hope there weren't to many errors! Next chapter is coming soon!**

**-Green Eyes Wander**


	5. 23 strong

**So this is the last multi POV chapter for a while, I just wanted to finish introducing all of the characters and main relationships/ friendships. Next chapter will be the Keepers meeting. Hope you like this! **

SETTING: in the fields

Angel stared across the field, hugging his legs and resting his chin on his knees. He'd spent all evening helping stitch up Audrey but as the sun began to set, Anna dismissed Teddy and Angel to go wash up before the celebration. The other Gladers hadn't been dismissed yet, and so Angel sat and watched as Kato lifted large logs, forming a pile to be used for a bonfire later that night.

The boy across the field was entrancing to the porcelain skinned Med-jack. He was thick and muscular; he carried the logs with ease, showing no sign of strain or pressure. Every so often he'd light up after Dahlia made some joke at Saf's expense, and when he smiled Angel couldn't help but do the same.

Angel had a hard time when he first showed up at the Glade. He was somewhere in the middle of the order, not in the first group, but about 4 months behind them. He was scared when he arrived, but Kato took him under his wing, helping him become a Med-jack, giving him answers when necessary, and just being a good friend in general. But they were only friends for a short time It didn't take long for Angel to fall head over heals for the builder, and it took even less time for Kato to admit that the feeling was mutual.

6 months into his life at the Glade and Angel couldn't be happier, and it was all thanks to the mesmerizing builder lifting logs just 30 meters away from him.

SETTING: Near the bathrooms

"And what about the Runners? What do they do?" Leia asked, hopping a bit to catch up to Florence. Florence stopped so abruptly that Anna smashed right into her back.

"How hard is it to understand kid? The Builders build, the Cooks cook, the Leaders lead, the Baggers bag, and the shucking Runners run!"

Leia looked up, her pale blue eyes watering slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Ah, don't worry about it kid," The redhead cut her off, "I'm just a bit on edge. Don't let my bad mood bring ya down."

"Ok Flo," She smiled.

"Flo? Is that like a nickname or something"

"Yeah… I dunno, it's just easy." The young girl shrugged.

"Good that," Florence smiled, starting up her fast paced walk again. "What job sounds best to you?" She called behind her.

"I dunno." Leia replied, "Think I could be a Trackhoe? Like you?"

Florence pursed her lips. There weren't any other Trackhoes, it had always just been her. A helping hand would be nice.

"I'll bring it up at the Keeper's meeting tomorrow." She said after a moment of thought. "But right now, we've got to get you washed up and ready for the party."

Florence led the Greenie to the girls' bathroom, stopping at the outside shack to get her a towel.

"Take a shower, take a klunk, do whatever, but you've only got 20 minutes." Florence warned. Leia disappeared into the room for only a minute before popping her head back out.

"Flo," Leia said softly.

"What's up?"

"Do you know much about Allan?" She asked quietly.

Florence stared at the small girl. As the sun was setting, strands of her ash brown hair seemed almost gold. The look was familiar to her in an odd way.

"Yeah, he's the Leader of this Shuckhole. Course I know stuff 'bout him. Why're you asking?"

"I dunno." She whispered, taking a long pause. "He seems nice. And his girl friends' real pretty."

Florence laughed a big (and slightly unnecessary) laugh, "Artemis isn't Allan's girl friend. She's second in command, they're just together a lot."

"Oh. Well still, he's nice." With that, the girl spun around and walked into the bathroom.

"At least I don't think she's his girl friend." Florence whispered under her breath.

SETTING: in the map room

Joan studied the pages of the book carefully, adjusting the thick lenses of her glasses ever so often as they slipped down her tan nose. She loved this time of day. As the sun went down and the Gladers buzzed around their different sections preparing for the celebration, Joan was free to read as she pleased.

A knock sounded at the door, it was hard and firm, surely the knock of an older Glader, most probably a boy. She tucked a piece of brown hair behind her ear, adjusted her glasses and closed the book.

"Come in." She called.

The wooden door to the Map Hut, swung open, and two boys entered.

"Hi Scar, Hi Allan, how can I help you guys?"

Scar smiled, a genuine and a very handsome smile. "We have some bad news Joan."

"Is Audrey ok?"

"Audrey is fine," Allan said, "It's about todays maps."

"Due to the Griever attacks, Audrey's injury and Mace's exhaustion, we only got sections 1,2,5, and 6 charted, and those were done relatively poorly. We need you to scratch today from the records."

Joan frowned, "That can't be good. What if today was an important day?"

"The safety of my Runners is more important to me." Scar said a bit harsher than he meant to."

The girl took a step back, bumping into the wooden table behind her.

"What he means," Allan cut in, "is that we're just glad everyone is safe. Not having records for today is not ideal, but we can make do."

"Alright," Joan said, "Is there anything else?"

"The party is starting soon. I know you love the books, but at least make an appearance, please."

Joan sighed, but smiled all the same, "Of course."

"Then that's all Joan," Scar said, his face relaxing to a soft expression, "see you later."

As the pair turned to leave, Joan called out, "Allan! I found something you might like." She ran over to the bookshelf and furiously searched through the titles stopping at a rather small and beaten looking book. She pulled it out, revealing a thin novel, bound in dark blue leather with only a sketched picture of a silver moon on the front and the title.

"What's this?" The leader asked as Joan handed it over to him.

"Just read page 52 to 54. It's about Greek mythology. I think you'll like it." Joan flashed a mischievous grin before plopping back down into her chair and opening her book up to the right page.

"See you at the party Joan." The boys called, but the girl didn't even hear them. She was lost in her book again.

SETTING: Kitchens

"How the hell am I supposed to make all this food in an hour?" Cat yelled, darting about the kitchen frantically checking on various pots and pans.

"Calm down Sweet cheeks," Walt yawned, leaning back in his chair. "It's not like the whole Glade will explode if you don't finish dinner in time for the party."

"How 'bout you help us out?" Cleo snapped at the boy. She to was running around stirring dishes, turning up the heat on the stove and checking on the bread in the oven.

The three cooks were given the task of cooking up a feast for the night's celebration. The kitchen was full with the smells of warm bread, fresh cut vegetables, soft mashed potatoes, and fresh killed ham stuffed with spices and herbs. The heat of the stoves and the ovens and the constant movement created a sauna in the tiny space and all of the cooks, even those not working, were sweating up a storm.

"Could you please chop these carrots, Walt?" Cleo asked as nicely as she could despite her growing frustration.

"Get the shuck up and the chop the shucking carrots." Cat ordered. Her face was stern and her tone was harsh, but her golden eyes sparkled with bliss.

"Alright, alright," Walt surrendered, flashing a handsome grin, "I'll chop the damn carrots. Just smile, Love." Cat groaned, rolled her eyes, and gave a small but genuine smile.

SETTING: at the party

Chris leaned against the front of the Homestead, watching the Gladers in front of him enjoy the party. All twenty something Gladers were out on the field, eating, laughing, dancing and talking amongst them selves. Chris gave a small smile when his eyes fell on Leia, Turner, Anna, and Joan playing tag near the forest area. Leia seemed to be fitting into the Glade well, and had no problem making friends.

Florence, Dahlia, Cleo, Cat and even Helen, were sitting around a table playing some sort of gambling game. Despite being all very strong willed girls and having somewhat clashing personalities, the girls' faces were lit up and smiles stretched across their cheeks. Dahlia laid something down on the table with a victorious smirk, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. The girls all gasped and groaned, handing Dahlia slips of paper that she had won. They were having fun, they were relaxed and even the ones that wouldn't smile at a newborn puppy wore a peaceful expression.

Right next to the table of gambling girls sat Scar, Kwame, Mace, Walt, Anna, Teddy and Audrey. Audrey had been stitched up, and despite Artemis's protests, Anna and Allan decided that it would be ok for her to attend the celebration, as long as Anna and another med-jack were with her at all times. That group was happily munching on the delicious food and looking back fondly on some old Glade memories. Anna brought up the time Kwame and her had been stuck in the kitchen with a huge rat. She happily reminded the group how Kwame not so heroically pushed Anna in the way of the rat and sprinted out of the room.

Kwame couldn't help but blush and sputter out a lame protest, swearing he was trying to push Anna away from the rat and chase it out of the kitchen. His inky skin melted into the dark sky, but his shy smile was still evident.

Finally, there was several small groups of Gladers off in their own world. Saf desperately tried to join in on the girl's game with out much luck. Angel and Kato strolled through the tall grass, entranced in their own conversation, and Allan and Artemis popped in and out of conversations, making sure every one was well fed and happy.

Chris pushed himself off the wall and sauntered over to the group. Despite his unsocial nature, Chris knew that he was semi obligated to spend time with the other Gladers. And besides, most of them weren't all that bad. He took a seat next to Cleo.

"Hey Chris," She smiled turning over to face him.

"Hey Cleo," Chris responded lightly. He couldn't help but notice that she looked very pretty that night. Her long ebony silk hair was braided down her back, and her eyes were so dark that the irises seemed to swallow the pupils.

"Where've you been all night?" Cleo asked. She seemed genuinely curious; she rested her chin on her tan hands and looked up into his eyes.

"Just taking a bit of a brain break." Chris shrugged, "How'd the gambling go?"

Cleo sighed into her palms, "Dahlia won, of course. She always does."

Chris chuckled at her annoyance; she was cute when she was angry. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by the clanging of metal against metal. His gaze rose to find Artemis and Allan standing up in front of the crowd.

Artemis stepped forward. Chris thought back to the early days of the Glade when things were new and everyone was scared. Artemis had been the first girl, and the light of the Glade. When things got hard and the Gladers began to loose hope, she was there to make them ok again. Tonight she had that light again; her sunny blonde hair cascaded down her back in loose waves and her eyes shone. She stood tall, prepared to address the crowd.

"It's almost been a year and a half now since the first group came up. We're an army of 23 strong, and we've beaten everything down that's come at us so far. Tonight we celebrate our newest Glader, Leia, and the new adventures to come. Let's raise a glass to our the future, and to the family we've created here in the Glade!"

The Gladers cheered, filling the empty night air with their whoops and hollers.

It was an uneventful party, no fights or injuries, and Chris liked it that way. It was nice to have a night of peace in the Glade.

SETTING: later that night

That night, when the Glade was asleep, Allan snuck out to read under the stars. He read the novel that Joan gave him all the way through, but he read pages 52 to 54 carefully, and then he read them again, and then again. He ripped them out of the book and folded the pages carefully, tucking them into his pocket. When he finally fell asleep, he had a smile on his face and the moon on his mind.

**It was a relatively uneventful chapter, but more drama to come! Oh, just to add, Shout out to everyone who reviewed, especially iristmr and BowandHero1234 for the longest reviews 3 Seriously though, thank you to every one who reviewed. I was wondering if people would be ok with a few day time skip after the Keepers meeting. There is a new Greenie who is going to wreak some major havoc but I would need to skip forward a week. Comment and let me know.**

**Read and Review :)**

**\- Green Eyes Wander**


	6. Panic

**Sorry for the long wait, it's been such a busy week! So I'm not going to lie... this is not my best chapter. I was having a ton of writers block and I just kind of had to get it out there. Thanks to every one who reviewed last time, it really helped to push me through the writers block. This chapter focuses on the Keepers meeting, and really only has one POV with a few bits of others mixed in. Enjoy!**

The golden sun climbed over the sleeping Glade mixing with the clouds to form glorious shades of pink, orange, and purple in the sky. The green grass swayed in the gentle breeze as it carried its diamond drops of dew. Silence hung in the air, but not a cold silence, more of a soft and peaceful stillness.

Gladers were sprawled across the ground clutching blankets and pillows, mumbling in their sleep and dreaming of the food at last night's celebration… or at least Cat was. Her mind was filled with the thoughts nicely organized dish arrangements, clean floors and perfectly browned bread. She smiled in her sleep and rolled to her side, soaking in the comfort of he perfect images in her head.

But, of course, in the Glade, no one was allowed to be that happy in the early morning, Turner made sure of that. Before the young teen came up in the box the month before Leia, Allan and Artemis would wake everyone up softly. But just a week after he popped out of the metal delivery box, the curly haired boy labeled himself "The Alarm Clock" of the Glade, and forced everyone out of their amazing sleep in the most terrible of ways.

Her mind traveled to a particular morning when she just about strangled the boy because he poured cold water on her while she slept. As the freezing drops slid down her neck, she had to clench her fists so hard that her nails drew blood in her palms, just to stop her self from pumbling Turner.

That morning, her eyes fluttered open just as the Slopper waddled over to her. The sky was lighter than it should've been, and the morning dew had begun to sizzle off the grass.

"Morning Cat," Turner called as he approached her sleeping area.

"Hi Turner," The cook yawned, "why's it so light outside?"

"Because it's nearly seven."

"What!" Cat shouted, jumping up and quickly packing up her pillow and blanket. No one else was sleeping; the field was full of busy Gladers, starting off their work before breakfast. "What the shuck Turner? Why didn't you wake me up?" She snapped.

"Cleo and Walt told me to let you sleep a bit longer. They said you had a meeting today and you needed your rest."

"So those two are making breakfast?" Cat asked.

"Yep." Turner beamed.

The dirty blond groaned and dashed off to the kitchens. She loved Cleo and Walt, they were good friends, but she wouldn't trust even the most responsible of the Gladers in her kitchen, let alone those two.

She prepared herself for the worst as she pushed open the large wooden door that led to the kitchens. As she stepped in she was blasted with the smell of fresh bread and honey, and laughter filled the warm air. Cat looked around cautiously, quickly locating Cleo and Walt.

Cleo sat on the table, casually stirring raw eggs as Walt made pancakes over at the stove. Walt would flip up a golden circle and catch it back on the thin black spatula. Cleo laughed when he stumbled slightly and nearly flung the pancake on his face.

"What's going on?" Cat demanded, still standing at the doorway.

"Hey Cat, we just thought we'd get breakfast started while you were sleeping. And we knew you could use some extra sleep." Cleo said, hopping off the table.

"Thanks for the sleep, but what the hell!? You shanks could've burned the whole shucking Glade to the ground!"

"Woah, slim it Kitty," Walt called from the stove, "We were just thinking of you.

Cat wanted to be mad, she really did. They shouldn't have started working without their Keeper… but the pancakes smelled amazing, and the extra sleep was just what she needed. She rolled her eyes, "Well, I guess I'll let you off with a warning, only because no one got burnt."

Cleo laughed, throwing back her head and flashing her gorgeous smile, "Good that Chef! I'll go tell every one breakfast is ready."

AFTER BREAKFAST

With in an hour, the hungry Gladers had gobbled up all the food and the three Cooks had gotten to work cleaning up the mess. Even with the extra sleep, Cat couldn't help but yawn as Cleo rambled on gleefully about her dream last night. While the dark-skinned beauty was lighting up the room, Artemis slipped in quietly and tapped Cat on the shoulder.

"It's time for the meeting." She said softly, not wanting to interrupt Cleo's story.

"Good that," Cat sighed, following the tall blonde girl out of the room.

"Wait Cat!" Cleo called, "What about my story?"

Cat smiled, "I'm sure it will be there when I get back!"

With that the two girls jogged out of the room and headed to the Council Room. "How've you been Cat?" Artemis asked, looking over at the Keeper of the Cooks.

Cat chewed on her lip, thinking of her next words carefully, "There's just a lot going on, you know? I've had a hard time relax."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Artemis said as they approached the wooden shack. "Try to relax Cat, you don't have anything to worry about." She pulled open the door and held it for Cat, motioning her in with a small smile.

Cat groaned as they entered the Council Room. All of the other Keepers were there, Allan, Scar, Florence, Kato, Anna, Turner, and Chris. Large crowded places weren't exactly her cup of tea, and things were bound to get out of hand. The hut was small, significantly smaller than the kitchens, and packed with 9 stubborn leaders of the Glade. There were 9 chairs arranged in a circle, with a few inches of space in between each.

"Take you seats and slim it," Allan commanded. The Keepers grumbled quiet responses but did as he wished. When everyone was seated and silent, Allan spoke again. "We've got two main issues to focus on today. One is the Job of Anna, our newest Greenie, and the other is what we are going to do about the dead Griever."

Artemis added on, "Like usual each Keeper will get one vote, and there will be a discussion before the vote for each Keeper to give their opinion."

"Exactly," Allan smiled at her, "Let's start. Any arguments to where Leia is placed?"

Much to Cat's surprise, Florence, the sarcastic, hotheaded, Keeper of the Trackhoes, stood up. She cleared her throat and addressed the group, "I think Leia should be put with me, and become a Trackhoe. I could use some more help and she's a good listener. I think she'd fit perfectly with me.

And just like that, after only a few short sentences, the real chaos of the Keeper's meeting began. Each Keeper shot out of their chair, explaining why Leia should be with them and not with Florence.

"We could use someone to sort the different tools," Kato declared.

"The Med-jacks need to train young people in medicine so we can keep the program strong!" Anna yelled.

"I'm the only Slopper, I need an extra hand," Turner shouted.

Leia wasn't exactly the most talented Glader, but with only 23 people, the jobs were often shorthanded. Each Keeper (except the Runners) had a valid argument in their favor. But stubborn ol' Florence held her ground.

"Trackhoes hold one of the most important positions in the Glade," She boomed over everyone else, keeping her head high and not backing down, "I alone, am in charge of all of our crops, some feed the livestock and some feed us. I need more help. For to long we've added Runners to the Maze in order to find a way out, but it's time to work towards a sustainable habitat."

Cat remained in her seat as this all happened; she didn't need any more cooks, and especially not some young reckless Greenbean. Order was Cat's best friend… next to Cleo of course, and the chaos of the meeting was beginning to get to her. She clenched and unclenched her fists as Allan surveyed his options.

"Obviously most job groups feel the need for a new member. Each group gets a vote for where Leia should be placed. If every one votes for Leia to be in their own section and it's a seven-way tie, then I'll narrow it down to what I think the best 3 choices are and—"

"—And let's get on with the voting." Artemis cut in, pulling Allan back into his chair. "Let's get on with the voting. Runners, how do you vote?"

Scar sighed, "I think that Leia should be placed with Florence in the Trackhoes." Florence smiled at the first success.

"What about the Builders?"

"I think Leia should be placed with us," Kato stated.

And on it went until every Keeper, Allan, and Artemis had all voted.

"Well, that gives us one vote for the Baggers, one vote for the Med-jacks, two for the Sloppers, two for the Builders, and three for the Trackhoes. So that settles it, Leia will be instated as a Trackhoes first thing tomorrow morning."

"I demand a revote," Kato ordered.

Florence shot up in her chair, "Majority rules Kato, deal with it."

"Why do you even want her anyway? Trying to force her to be your friend Shank?"

"Enough!" Allan boomed, standing up and forcing the Keepers back into their chairs. "Leia is a Trackhoe, it's final."

Kato crossed his arms and Florence smirked triumphantly, flipping her fiery locks to the side. Over in her own chair, Cat dug her neatly clipped nails into her palm, trying to concentrate on the thin wooden floor boards beneath her.

"Good that," Artemis said, brining everyone back to the issues at hand. "The next order of business is what we should do about the dead Griever."

Scar stood up, and for the first time since the meeting started he actually seemed interested. "The Griever should have a full-scale investigation. Who knows what it might lead to. It could be the key to getting out."

"So what? We'd just have a few Runners go and look at a dead thing rather search for a way out?" Kato snapped, still frustrated from his loss of Leia.

"We've been looking for a year and a half now pal," Florence retorted, "I'm with Scar. There's obviously something we're missing."

Artemis raised her brow thinking carefully about what she was going to say, "We don't have enough Runners to have two or three not run just so they can inspect a Griever. Already we have each runner mapping two sections."

"Then let's get someone who isn't a Runner," Cat suggested under her breath, her eyes still glued to the floor.

"And who would that be?" Anna asked.

Everyone was quiet for a second, each of them going through possible candidates in their head. The silence helped Cat's breathing slow down and her shoulders relax. But of course, that didn't last for long.

"I'll do it."

Everyone's gaze turned to Allan, who kept his eyes on the floor.

"I'll go into the Maze," He started, "I've done it before… once, and I wanted to do it again. Inspecting this Griever is important, I know it is. So I'll go into the Maze with one other Runner."

"What?" Artemis demanded, "You aren't a Runner. You can't go into the Maze Allan."

"You need to be here," Anna said.

"That's a stupid idea!"

"There isn't a better way!"

"It's dead already, why do we need to look at it anymore.

"Allan would do fine in the Mae, it's the best solution!"

"There are better ways than sending untrained people!"

Keepers jumped out of their chairs and flung commentary across the room; each one disagreed with something another one said. Cat remained where she was, stiff as a board, clenching and unclenching her fists. As the volume grew, so did the pace of her breath. Panic began to rise in her throat like water and she knew that soon she would start drowning. She hugged her knees tightly and tucked her knees under her chin.

Turner, who had been relatively quiet, was the first to notice Cat. Her deep brown eyes darted across the room, not focusing on anything particular.

"Cat… are you ok?"

She didn't respond. Her chest began to rise and fall rapidly, her breaths growing hollow. Turner's face was growing closer, his words slurred with the sounds of shouts coming from the keepers, and Cat couldn't help but back up so far in her chair that it tipped over.

She didn't even scream as she crashed to the ground, but Turner did, alerting the other seven Gladers.

"What the hell!" Artemis yelled as she ran over to Cat. The others followed just behind, and soon a mob had formed around the dirty blonde haired girl. She looked so small from their angle. On a normal day, Cat was a force to be reckoned with, but here she was, fragile and completely watched as she hyperventilated and scrambled away from the Gladers around her.

"She's having a panic attack!" Anna shouted, pushing her way to the front. The group was right by the door of the shack, and little did they know that the commotion had drawn a curious cook to the scene. Cleo listened in as her best friend sucked in quick breaths, screaming as Anna came close to her.

Cleo jumped into the room, understanding that if the Keepers saw her she'd get in all sorts of trouble, but ignoring that. She had seen Cat get panic attacks before, and she knew she was the only one who could help her.

Her feet carried her over to her fellow cook and she forcefully threw Anna aside.

"Cat," She called, "Cat, look at me."

Cat couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe.

Everything around her swirled and every fiber in her brain shook with mental agony. She didn't know what caused it, but she knew that it was going to be the end of her. As if something had pulled the drain, the color drained from her face and sweat framed her brow. People yelled and commands were given, but Cat just rocked back on her butt, sucking in deep breaths and forcing them out. The first sign of familiarity came to her when two inky black eyes, a curved nose, and a small nose piercing filled her vision.

"Hey, it's ok Cat, just look into my eyes," Cleo said softly, she whipped her head around at the astonished Keepers, "Get her some water," She ordered, but none of them moved, all of them just stood in confusion. "Get her some water!" She repeated louder, and this time they understood. Scar dashed off out of the shack.

Deep down, the sane part of Cat's brain knew that she needed to calm down… that she needed to breathe. The part of her brain forced her to stare into Cleo's eyes and mimic her slow breathing.

"That's it." Cleo cooed, "Just keep breathing."

The water began fall and Cat was no longer drowning. Her shoulders relaxed again, and her features eased as Cleo gave a small smile.

"Is she ok?" Turner asked, breaking the silence that the Keepers had held.

"She's going to be fine," Cleo assured them, "She'll be just fine."

The Gladers let out a mental sigh; none of them were prepared to deal with a jacked cook.

Scar returned with a glass of water and handed it off to Cat, who took it with a shaky hand. Slowly she took small sips as Cleo instructed, not wanting to get overwhelmed again. A thick fog began to lift from her mind and a new feeling replaced the panic; embarrassment. Her freckled cheeks grew red as she realized that every Keeper and the two leaders were circled around her, staring at her, worried about her.

Cleo sensed that; she knew how Cat was. Once Cat looked ready, Cleo stood up and offered her Keeper a hand. "C'mon Cat. Let's go to the kitchen."

"Wait," Anna called, "She should really come with me to the Homestead. I need to make sure she's ok."

Cleo was already shepherding her out of the door, she looked behind her and called to the crowd, "I'm just going to take her to the kitchen and let her look at organized shelves. It'll calm her down a bit more."

And with that they slunk out of the room, the dark haired beauty supporting her fair skinned, light haired best friend out of the shack.

LATER IN THE COUNCIL ROOM

Artemis paced around the shack, chewing on her nails and shifting her gaze about the room.

"Would you please just stop for a second and talk to us," Allan asked. He sat next to Scar on the floor of the shack, watching the lean blonde twitch and scramble about. "

"I think we just need to make a decision," said Scar. "I think the three of us can just decide about the Griever."

"That's just it though," Artemis shot, stopping her pacing and addressing the boys, "Both of you are totally ok with Allan running in the Maze. If just the three of us decide then tomorrow morning Allan is going to be waking up throwing on some running shoes."

"Why are you so freaked out about me going into the Maze?" Allan asked.

"Um… because it's the shucking Maze! Thankfully the Glade has yet to see a dead body, and I don't want you to be the first dead person I see."

Allan knit his brow, "What are you saying Artemis?"

She sighed and sat down across from the boys, folding her legs below her, "The maze is dangerous. Really dangerous. It isn't safe for someone who is untrained."

Scar cleared his throat as Allan and Artemis stared into each other's eyes, "How about we make a compromise," He suggested. "Allan can go into the Maze once a week to inspect the Griever. We'll run together and I'll make sure he gets back well before the doors close."

"Sounds good to me," Allan shrugged.

"What about you Artemis?"

The girl sucked in a deep breath, "I guess that could work."

"Good that," Scar said, standing up and offering the others a hand. "It's settled then. Tomorrow, Allan's going to enter the Maze."

**So next chapter will include about a 2 to 3 week time skip and it's going to hold some major action! Hope you liked this, and please review! **

**-Green Eyes Wander**


	7. All It Takes to Break a Rock

**Alright, so this is one of my favorite chapters I've written so far! It's a bit of Artemis and Allan (Altemis? Arllan?) and next chapter there is going to be some mega maze action! I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I did, and please please please review and give feed back! Warning: time skip, about 2 or 3 weeks. **

The truth about a day in the Glade was that anything could go wrong. At any moment something could take a turn for the worst. Artemis knew that, she'd seen it happen many times. As the second in command paced back in forth in the Plan room, she thought about what might go wrong on that day.

It was late in the afternoon and Artemis had spent most of the day in the Plan room, the place for her and Allan to discuss private matters such as who should be the Keepers, what jobs needed to be done, and how exactly they planned on getting out of the Glade. It had been a typical 10 hours so far, except the fact that it was getting late and the Greenie had not arrived.

Allan was gone for the day. Since Scar had killed the Griever the two of them spent at least a day each week in the Maze examining the body for clues. Artemis wanted to go with them so badly; she loved to run. She spent three weeks as a Runner when she first came up. Artemis and Scar, another one of the original members, spent hours out in the Maze, exploring the stone paths and towering walls above them. But after a few weeks, pains began to form in her shins. They usually acted up when she ran, but it hurt so badly that she had to stop and take several breaks. After an unfortunate incident where Scar had to carry her back to the Glade, Artemis gave up running and decided to stay as second in command.

She sighed and rubbed her lower leg as if the pain was swelling up inside her again. Allan had called them shin splits, because she described the pain as her shins ripping apart… which might have been a slight exaggeration.

The blonde girl continued her pacing until a small piece of paper caught her eye. It was folded on the desk where Allan often sat, it's soft white glow contrasting against the deep brown wood of the table. Tentatively, she reached her hand out to it, grazing it's smooth white surface.

"Artemis!" Some one called. The girl jumped in surprise and recoiled her hand."Artemis, the Greenie's here." She turned to see Chris standing in the doorframe, his gaze meeting her own. "You ok?" He asked.

"Yeah," She said, forcing a smile and pushing past him.

"I know you're lying. Don't worry about Allan, he'll be fine." Chris called behind her.

"I'm not worried about Allan, he's a big boy; he can handle himself." She retorted, picking up the pace so that Allan could see her dopey smile and bright pink cheeks. "Is the box up yet?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Um, it should be just getting here by now. It took me a while to find you."

"Sorry 'bout that, I had to look over some papers."

"What papers?" Chris pried.

Artemis's thoughts wandered to the folded page on Allan's desk. It was creased with care, obviously something that mattered to him.

"Important papers." She lied, not wanting to admit that she was worrying about her friend and fighting the temptation to snoop on him.

She jogged over to the Box before Chris could ask any more questions.

The typical crowd had begun to form, each teenager leaning over to get a peak of the Greenie through the holes in the roof.

"Excuse me," Artemis said politely as she pushed her way to the front. When Kwame and Dahlia saw her, they lifted the doors to the Box open, revealing the newest member to their second in command.

Since the beginning of the Glade, Artemis had been helping Greenbeans out of the Box. Each one had a relatively similar reaction. They were scared, confused, crying or angry.

Never before had Artemis seen some one so calm and collected. Below her sat a thin girl, with sandy blonde hair and angular features. Her golden locks were short with loose curls, and her thin legs were folded below her. She looked up steadily, making eye contact with Artemis.

Her thin lips, slightly tanned skin and blonde hair reminded Artemis a bit of her self, but the Greenies eyes were a entrancing shade of blue green. The two colors swirled together as if they were dancing, and flecks of yellow found their way into the mix as well. At first glance the two girls might have resembled one another, but after a second Artemis realized how different they were.

The second in command sighed and jumped into the Box, wincing at the pain that shot up through her shinbones. She took in a deep breath and looked down at the girl below her.

"Hi Greenie," She smiled, "Welcome to the Glade."

The girl did not respond, her eyes scanned around the box and she folded her hands neatly in her lap.

Artemis cleared her throat. "My name's Artemis, do you remember yours?"

The girl looked back at Artemis, her facial expression totally blank. Slowly, she shook her head, keeping her gaze on the green-eyed girl standing above her.

"Ok," she trailed, "Well why don't you come on out of the box, and we'll explain what's going on. I know you must be really confused." Artemis stuck out her hand, but the girl ignored it, rising to her feet on her own and gliding to the edge of the box.

Something about this girl was strange, she held herself high and showed no signs of fear. Her thin lips were sealed shut, and her eyes stayed alert, tracking every movement around her. She hoisted her self out of the box, and Artemis followed, accepting the hand that Dahlia held out for her in order to climb the metal walls.

Once she was back on the grass, Artemis caught sight of the Greenie. She was a few feet from the crowd, examining the doors to the maze very closely. Artemis followed her gaze only to find Allan and Scar jogging in through the doors. A wave of relief flooded over the second in command, and every muscle in her body ached to go over to him… or um, them. She had to get this whole Greenie thing over with.

"This is the Glade," She gestured to the enormous grass area and towering stonewalls with out much effort. Her introduction was sloppy, but she just had to make sure Allan was ok, she could sort the Greenie out later. "All of us came out of the box just like you and non of us know why. Things with start to make sense soon, but for now you're stuck with us."

Something flashed in the girl's eyes, something chaotic and for a moment, Artemis forgot all about Allan and Scar on the other side of the Glade.

The Greenbean clenched her fists, and whipped around, shoving Artemis to the ground. She lunged on top of her and pinned her hands above her head.

"What the Shuck!" Artemis screamed trying to wiggle free. The dagger she carried on her belt burned, and her hands ached to grab it. Artemis could see Allan and Scar, standing up and trying to figure out what all of the commotion was.

"I'm not _stuck _here." The Greenie spat. The Gladers near the box finally realised what was going on, several of them shouted and a few ran to Artemis's aid. But the Greenie was too quick. She flung her self off Artemis and crouched, obviously contemplating her next move.

Kwame was one of the first over; he helped Artemis to her feet and pushed her behind him. He stooped, waiting for the Greenie to make her move, but the girl just hissed, spun on her heels and took off in the other direction.

Raged filled Artemis, this girl busted into their Glade, took her down, and expected to get away with it? The second in command shoved past Kwame and darted after the runaway Greenbean.

Sure, this girl might have had quicker reflexes than Artemis, but no one was a better runner than her. She poured all of her speed into her legs, taking short quick steps at first and transitioning into longer strides. The Greenie was headed for the doors, but Artemis wasn't going to let her out of the Glade. She heard the Gladers running behind her, and she saw Allan step forwards, prepared to grab the Greenie, but she only focused on the girl in front of her.

When they were only a few feet from Allan and the doors, Artemis lunged, grabbing hold of the tall blonde and bringing her to the ground with a loud _THUD. _The Newbie squirmed and wiggled but Artemis was determined on keeping her on the ground. Kwame, Chris, Dahlia, Helen, and Kato had caught up to them, and the rest weren't far behind.

"What's going on?" Allan demanded as Artemis wrestled with the Greenie. Artemis ignored him, focusing on getting her still.

After a few seconds and a lot of awkward grunting, Artemis had pinned the girl on her back, and finally looked up at Allan. "This Slinthead came out of the Box a bit crazy. We just need to calm her down."

"Well why don't you get off her Arie, and we'll take her to the homestead." Allan said, offering her a hand.

"Shuck no!" Artemis snapped, "She's insane."

"Artemis, get off the poor girl, she didn't do anything wrong." Dahlia yelled.

"I'm sorry, was I the only one who saw the Greenbean tackle our Second in Command to the ground?" Chris barked at Dahlia.

"Enough. Just get up Arie, we'll put her in the Pit."

Artemis was hesitant, the girl was quick and if she got into the Maze, Artemis wouldn't be able to chase her down. Even after only 2 minutes of running or less, the pain in her legs was growing and she was beginning to feel nauseous.

She took a deep breath, and grabbed Allan's hand, pulling herself up and wincing with pain.

"Are you ok?" Allan asked, but she didn't even have time to respond before the Greenie shot up. She balled her fist and swung one at Artemis, making solid contacted with her nose.

Artemis cried out in pain as her hands flew up to stop the blood that began rushing out of her nose. For a moment, the Greenie seemed shocked. Her sea colored eyes grew to the size of saucers when she saw the thick red liquid covering her knuckles and Artemis's face. The girl's skin turned pale and her jaw hung open.

"I-I… I'm sor… I'm sorry." She choked out, before swiveling around and darting off in to the Glade.

The Gladers stood in shock. No one said a word.

A sense of failure filled Artemis as she watched the Greenie disappear. Allan's hands were around her for a moment, keeping her warm, but after only a few seconds he pulled away. His pale blue eyes followed the Greenie as she fled through the stony halls and Artemis knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Allan don't you dare. There are rules, no one goes into the Glade unless they're a runner." She grabbed his wrist with a blood-covered hand and held tight. The doors were going to close in a matter of seconds and she wasn't going to loose him.

Allan made eye contact with Scar, who nodded slightly, and drew his katana. The leader looked down at the second in command, his best friend, and quite possibly his favorite person in the world. What kind of leader would he be if he didn't go after one of his own people?

"I'm sorry Arie," He whispered. She gripped his wrist tighter as he bent down and kissed her fore head, "I have to go." He broke from her grasp and sprinted off into the abyss, with Scar right on his heels.

"ALLAN! NO!" She screamed, but it was too late.

He was gone.

Artemis lunged forward, prepared to chase after him, but two hands circled around her waist and pulled her back… hard. She recognized her holder as Kwame, and wriggled around, desperately trying to break his hold on her.

"Let me go!" She demanded, "I need to go get him!"

"No. You wouldn't last an hour out their with those shins, you need to stay here. Allan will be fine."

"Let go!" She ordered again, panic began to bubble in her throat and her thrashing grew more violent, "Kwame please! I need to go get him!"

"Stop it, Artemis." Dahlia said off to her left. "You can't go out there."

"I need to go get him! He's gunna die!" Artemis screamed, lurching forward in Kwame's hands.

The walls screeched and groaned as they heaved forwards, beginning to close. Every inch of Artemis's body fought against Kwame's grasp, every part of her wanted to go after Allan. The need to be with him burned deep in her soul and with one last ferocious howl she exploded forward. But she had no luck. Kwame was too strong.

The walls were only moments from their reunion. There was no point in fighting anymore. Artemis sunk to her knees and watched her last hope of seeing Allan again slip away. She fell forward onto her hands and dug her nails deep into the dirt. Her green eyes squeezed shut as the tears began to slowly escape from her behind her eyelids. Breaths caught in her throat like knives.

"Shuck." She breathed. "Shuck."

After a long pause, she felt some one kneel down beside her. They placed their hand on her back, and spoke softly.

"I'm so sorry Artemis." Leia said, her pale blue eyes welling with tears, "I know it hurts."

Artemis swallowed hard, pushing her self up and turning to the crowd. The Gladers were shocked, so much had just happened that it was hard to move on from it. The blonde girl clenched her fists, digging her un-groomed nails into her palms.

"I-I'm sorry. I just lost control for a second." She told them. Raising her hand, she wiped the dirty tears off her cheeks and took in a deep breath, standing up a bit straighter. "Go back to your jobs and wrap up for the night. Keepers, you can decide how you want to handle this." Artemis walked forward, beginning to push her way past the crowd.

"Artemis!" Chris called, "Stay here with us. We should be together right now; you don't need to deal with this alone."

She clenched her fist tighter, keeping her eyes on the horizon ahead of her, "No. I think I do need to do this alone," she looked back, her gaze meeting Chris's and then scanning the faces of all of the Gladers. They were scared, Allan was their leader and Artemis was supposed to be their rock. They needed her to be strong and she knew that. "At least for now. Let me just be alone for a bit."

Chris nodded, "yeah… yeah that's fine." He looked back at the crowd, "Let's finish off the days work them."

When the crowd began to disperse and Artemis was far enough away, she broke into a fast run and carried her self all the way to the plan room. She sprinted up the stairs of the homestead, swung the door open, and flung her self into the room. She slammed the door behind her and leaned on it with all of her weight.

A loud cry of frustration escaped her mouth before Artemis could stop it, and she found her self on the brink of tears.

_Enough, _she told her self, _get over it. _

Artemis knew that she needed to be stronger than this. Something bad was bound to happen, and she just had to accept that. If the Gladers saw her break down, how could she expect them to stay positive?

The overwhelming sense of obstruction and depression flooded over her again and she shoved her self off the wall beginning to pace again. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute, but all she really wanted was to see Allan again.

As she continued to walk swiftly about the planning room, she cursed Allan over and over in her mind. _How could he just leave me here? Why would he go after that girl and leave me alone to watch over the Glade._

Artemis was ranting to herself, when a small piece of folded white paper caught her eye. She had seen it this morning, carefully placed on the corner of Allan's desk. An impulse overtook her, and before she could tell her self no, the paper manifested in her hands.

_Allan left me alone, I don't think he can get mad if I read his stupid piece of paper. _

Gingerly, she opened the paper. Her breath caught in her throat as a beautiful image appeared on the page in front of her. It was a woman, surrounded by starlight and dark skies. She was wearing a light cloth dress that looked almost like a bed sheet, and covered very little of her body. Not in a scandalous way, but an almost spiritual fashion. The woman was a bit curvy with cascading auburn hair sprinkled with silver branches, and soft grey eyes that held Artemis's gaze. Her expression and posture made her seem regal as a queen, and the bow and arrow she carried in her hand gave her the appearance of a warrior. She was gorgeous and intimidating, some one that could earn respect just by walking.

But what really interested Artemis, was the big silver writing just above the woman's head, it read: Artemis, Goddess of the Wild hunt.

Artemis knitted her eyebrows and scanned the image again. This woman looked nothing like her… and yet her name was on the page.

_Why does Allan have this? And where the shuck did he get it?_

Her hands shook slightly and a sense of fear began to soak into her. Some one out there knew her name, or maybe this was another girl with her name… or maybe she stole this girl's name! Artemis took a few steps back and dropped the paper, letting it fall to the floor. As it floated to the ground, she noticed another paper, one hiding behind the picture of the other Artemis.

She took a deep breath, bent down, and picked it up the new page. Thin black letters covered the page in perfect lines, but a couple of particular passages were highlighted in a light purple pen. She read the hole page, but as her eyes fogged, she read the highlighted passages several times over.

_ The moon enthrals all with its beauty. Its silver glow and the bright aura entrances even the sharpest of men, luring them to where it pleases. Artemis is the Goddess of the moon and wilderness. Her life revolves around the night and the wild hunt. Her sense of adventure and skills in combat beat out any man's and her quick mind keeps her alert at all times._

_ Many compare Artemis's beauty to that of the moon, but there is no contest. She glides on light feet like an angel, and yet she is far more deadly. She is independent and youthful with a strong will and an even stronger heart. Artemis is a leader amongst the Young, a Goddess that all would follow to their grave. Her features are flawless, and her eyes are rumored to be made of stars themselves._

_ Artemis is the Goddess of the hunt and the moon; she is force to be reckoned with and a Goddess to remember._

Artemis's hand etched its way up to her mouth, and she muffled her gasp. Her heart sped up a thousand times faster as she read the paper again and again. Allan had done that. Allan had highlighted that passage because he wanted her to read it.

As Artemis sunk to the ground, she realised something that had taken her a year and a half to figure out.

Artemis might just be in love with him... and now he was gone… probably forever.


	8. Author's Note

Sorry for this guys, I know it has been a super long time since the last update but I'm right in the middle of finals and I need to be studying. I just wanted to let everybody know that I hadn't given up on the story and I'm still alive.

However, I've gotten an idea for an extremely original SYOC never before see on 's Maze runner page (I've been here since the beginning, I've read 'em all). Anyway, this would be a much smaller SYOC with a more complex and interesting plot. I've grown a bit bored of Tear Down These Walls, and while I love all of your characters, the plot isn't super original or exciting. Plus, in this new story I would submit my own OC, so that I was a little more committed to it as well. I don't want to give away to much, but the story would revolve around 10-12 teens living in the Scorch. With a smaller group of people the story could be more focused on characters and relationships, plus the OC could be more unique.

My point of all of this is that I was hoping you all could share your opinion and tell me if you like this idea. I don't think I would necessarily end TDTW, but I think you can see my point of how it's a bit over done. So, what should I do? Are you interested in the new story idea? Would you all mind if TDTW went on hiatus until I've got the new story up and running?

Let me know, and sorry for the lack of updates, it's been really hectic here. Nothing will be finalised for another 2 weeks until I finish my finals, but I will come back with another update sooner or later.

-Green Eyes Wander


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